Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 187

The old woman was already up there in years, yet here she was, still speaking up for her grandson, even trying her best to ingratiate herself with others.

Leonard felt a pang of discomfort as he listened. If there was a problem, he could handle it himself—he didn’t want his grandmother getting involved, especially not in such a humble, self-effacing way.

“Grandma, you really don’t need to say all that,” Winifred replied, her tone gentle but resolute. “I agreed to everything from the start, and I’ve never once blamed Leo. There’s never been a question of who owes who between us—he’s always been like an older brother to me.”

“Whatever happens, he’s the first person I turn to. With him around, I just feel safe, that’s all. That’s why I go to him—it has nothing to do with what happened before. You really don’t need to keep worrying about it; all of that is in the past.”

Winifred put on a show of indifference, but deep down, she knew she never would have dared say all this in front of Leonard’s family if not for that incident.

“Winifred, would you come with me for a moment? I have something I’d like to discuss privately.” Mrs. Murphy, Leonard’s mother, couldn’t listen any longer. Ever since this woman had walked in, she’d dominated the conversation with Leonard’s grandmother, barely giving anyone else a chance to speak.

And what was the point of all this talk anyway? Mrs. Murphy’s frustration simmered just beneath the surface.

“Mom—” Leonard began, knowing his mother far too well. He could guess what she wanted to say, and he didn’t want the two women alone together.

“You two were even caught up in rumors before, but you must see by now that none of it could drive them apart. Their relationship is strong.”

“So, why don’t you name your price? Whatever you want, I’ll find a way to give it to you. It’s what our family owes you. But I don’t want my son to spend his whole life feeling indebted, living in someone else’s shadow. And don’t tell me you’ve never cared about that—if you truly didn’t, you wouldn’t be clinging to him like this.”

Mrs. Murphy had always been direct, never one for beating around the bush. These matters needed to be settled, and quickly; that’s why she’d insisted on this conversation now.

Leonard and Marguerite were about to get engaged. After that, things would change—they’d take on new roles in each other’s lives. If Leonard kept getting tangled up with Winifred, always rushing to her side, tension was bound to build between them. Even if both women were understanding, love wasn’t so simple. Sometimes, jealousy was inevitable.